{"id":4914,"date":"2025-10-29T15:53:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T14:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawai.li\/fsd\/?p=4914"},"modified":"2026-02-18T10:17:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T09:17:30","slug":"how-to-become-deminer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/how-to-become-deminer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to become a deminer?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FSD\u2019s deminers come from all walks of life: farmers, teachers, IT specialists and many others. Many have had their lives disrupted by conflict and wish to contribute to rebuilding their country. Sometimes, a family member already working with FSD inspires them to join in turn. Demining also offers real career prospects in areas where economic opportunities are limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the field, the task of deminers is to carefully examine and sometimes excavate the ground to locate landmines and explosive remnants of war using metal detectors. These women and men make up the majority of FSD\u2019s workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside them, technical experts bring experience and specialised skills. Qualified in explosive ordnance disposal, they are responsible for securing and destroying the devices identified by deminers, as well as coordinating and monitoring field operations. Some also act as trainers, ensuring local deminers are trained to the highest international standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Landmines and explosive remnants of war vary in shape, size, triggering mechanism and impact. Understanding these differences and how to positively identify these items essential to ensure safe clearance. (Ukraine, 2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Training in two stages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No prior technical knowledge is required to become a deminer. It is enough to be able to read and write, and to be in good physical condition. Training begins with a theoretical module, covering search and excavation techniques, safety procedures and first aid. Trainee deminers also study the different types of explosive ordnance they may encounter in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Training begins in the classroom, where trainee deminers take part in intensive theoretical sessions before moving on to practical exercises. (Ukraine, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The following weeks are devoted to practical exercises: visual searches, metal detector use, vegetation cutting, excavation and emergency casualty evacuation drills. Each movement is repeated until it becomes second nature. Training sessions take place on specially prepared areas that replicate real conditions as closely as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This trainee deminer is learning how to excavate enough soil around a potential explosive device so that it can be positively identified and dealt with\u2014 a procedure that will be practised many times before taking place in a real operation. (Ukraine, 2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Continuous training for safer operations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even after several years of experience, training remains a top priority. After each leave period, winter break or at regular intervals, deminers take part in refresher sessions. These exercises help them sharpen skills, integrate any new procedures and maintain high levels of vigilance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Simulation exercise: the team practises first aid and casualty evacuation procedures. A medic and an ambulance are present at all times during demining operations. (Iraq, 2024)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Demining is a demanding profession. It requires working in the heat, rain and dust, often far from home and family for weeks at a time. Each day involves significant physical effort and constant focus. Yet the moment when a cleared field is finally handed back to its community brings a unique sense of fulfilment. The smiles of the deminers say it all: satisfaction, joy and pride in having made the world a little safer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action\u00a0 – 4 April 2026<\/h3>\n

PDF of complete Joint Statement (March 2026) Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action  Geneva, 31 March 2026 The world…<\/p>\n

\n Landmines and explosive remnants<\/span>\n Humanitarian demining<\/span>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n

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FSD’s Mine Action Programme in Ukraine<\/h3>\n

Complete Ukraine brochure (March 2026) \u2013 PDF Our ongoing operations \u2013 March 2026 As of March 2026, more than 450…<\/p>\n

\n Humanitarian demining<\/span>\n Ukraine<\/span>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n

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Interview with Olivier Shu \u2013 La Ligne de c\u0153ur (RTS La Premi\u00e8re)<\/h3>\n

\u25b6\ufe0f Listen now \u00a9 Interview broadcast on RTS La Premi\u00e8re, in the programme La Ligne de c\u0153ur About Olivier A demining expert…<\/p>\n

\n Landmines and explosive remnants<\/span>\n Machines, drones and technology<\/span>\n Humanitarian demining<\/span>\n Ukraine<\/span>\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FSD\u2019s deminers come from all walks of life: farmers, teachers, IT specialists and many others. Many have had their lives disrupted by conflict and wish to contribute to rebuilding their country. Sometimes, a family member already working with FSD inspires them to join in turn. Demining also offers real career prospects in areas where economic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"news_country_category":[85,87,88,89,90,91],"custom_post_format":[168],"class_list":["post-4914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-humanitarian-demining","news_country_category-afghanistan","news_country_category-colombie","news_country_category-irak","news_country_category-philippines","news_country_category-tadjikistan","news_country_category-ukraine","custom_post_format-mine-action-101"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4914"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4914\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8006,"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4914\/revisions\/8006"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4914"},{"taxonomy":"news_country_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news_country_category?post=4914"},{"taxonomy":"custom_post_format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fsd.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/custom_post_format?post=4914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}